Fears UK tourists will cancel Spain holidays over ‘disastrous’ new rules

Spanish hoteliers are warning that new “Big Brother” rules requiring hotels to collect personal information from guests are a “disaster”.

The country’s government is from new arrivals or face fines of up to £24,600. The state claims the measures are being introduced for national security reasons.

President of the Aviba Balearic Association of Travel Agencies, Pedro Fiol, warned that rules, introduced at the start of the month, have already had an “international impact.”

“It was chaos”, he said. “It hardly ever worked during the test period”.

According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, Gabriel Escarrer, the chief executive of the Palma-based Melia Hotel Group, branded the “Big Brother” rules a “disaster” for the industry.

Now, hoteliers are demanding the measures be “watered down” or “withdrawn” over fears they could lead to a drop in bookings.

Under the new rules, known officially as Royal Decree 933/2021, hotels have to ask guests their phone numbers, email addresses, the number of travellers in their party, and gender, amongst other things.

Appearing to defend the new rules, travel journalist Simon Calder told the in November that the Spanish government was concerned about terrorist activity and organised crime and “simply want to know… who’s coming and going, where they are staying and what cars they are renting”.

But Gibraltar-based Penelope Bielckus, behind the Flyaway Girl blog, said the new system adds “another layer of paperwork that can feel like a chore when all you want is to relax on holiday”.

She conceded it “might slow things down a bit, especially at check-in, since there’s now more paperwork to handle”.